Meat cutter



Apri@ 27, ms.. '1,532,483

G. B.- RUNYAN MEAT CUTTER Filed Jan. 13, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS3 o0 4, 2 8 5., 1li N A Vl N U R E G.

April 2?, 1925@ MEAT GUTTER Filed Jan. 13', 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Apr. 27, 1925.

GENIAI-I B. RUNYAN, OF KUSA, OKLAHOMA.

MEAT CUTTER.

Application iled January 13, 1925. Serial No. 2,190.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, Gmvrnrr B. RUNrAN,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Kusa, in the county ofOkmulgee and State of GklahOma, have invented certain CAD new and usefulImprovements in Meat Cutters, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in meat cutters, and it consistsof the constructions, combinations and arrangements herein described andclaimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a motor driven implement forbutchers use, providing both forl the cutting of the meat and the sawingthrough of bones.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of thecharacter described wherein the circular saw and cutting blade arecombined in one, the cutting blade being projectible for cutting actionby a novel manipulation of certain controls in the implement.

Another object of the invention is to provide an implement of thecharacter described wherein the cutting blade or knife is practicallycontained by the saw and is projectible beyond the periphery of the sawfor a cutting action.

Other objects and advantages will appear' in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanyingl drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a sectional view, parts being in elevation,illustrating the general arrangement of the improvedmeat cutter.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the circular saw showing how thecutting blade or knife is housed or Contained thereby.

Figure 3 is a detail front elevation of saw hub and knife.

Figure i is a detail sectional view of clutch arrangement.

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of the saw hub and bearings. v

This invention is an improvement on the cutter disclosed in the UnitedStates Patent #1,483,617 granted to me on February 12, 1924. That patentdiscloses both a circular saw and a circular knife. lt has been found inpractice that the action of the cutting knife has a tendency to rollover the meat and also t0 pull it. The improvement herein disclosedavoids the present difiiculty and introduces other novel arrangements.

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In carrying out the invention, provision is made of a frame 1 (Fig. 1)for the purpose of supporting the mechanism by means of suitable hangers2 which are attached in any conventional manner to bearings 3 and i ofthe motor shaft 5. vThe supporting frame has rods or columns 6 which,according to the patent` referred to. extend upward and have telescopicengagement (not shown) with other supporting structure.

A casing 7 covers the clutch mechanism and provides means for holdingthe electric motor 8 in rigid position. 1n carrying out this purpose useis made of screws 9 which pass through a part of the casing into themotor shell. rlhe casing, in turn, has lugs 10 which are suitablysecured at 11 to onevof the hangers 2. The arrangement just described isin practice subject to variation, because it is conceivable that otherand perH haps better means of holding the motor may be adopted.

The motor shaft 5 is holiow and carries the knife shaft 12y so-calledbecause of the fact that the knife 13 is attached thereto, said knifeshaft being' subj ectto independent movement byreason of the functionsof either the clutch 14 or brake 15. The right end of the motor shaft 5stops short of the end of the knife shaft (Figs. 1. and 5) and therecarries the hub 16 with which the lining 17 of the clutch is adapted tointernally engage.

The clutch includes a grooved collar 18 with which the clutch lever 19vengages in such a way as to move the clutch back and forth. The clutchlever is pivoted at 2O upon the casing 7, and has a handle 21 foroperation.

A. spring 22,- seated between the clutch 14 and a washer 23 upon theknife shaft, tends to normally press the clutch into engagement with thehub 16. The clutch turns with the knife shaft by means of the key 24,but the key is straight in order to permit the necessary sliding of theclutch. Upon permitting the clutch lil to move into engagement with thehub 16 by releasing the handle 21,'the knife shaft 12 is made to revolveat the same rate as the motor shaft 5. The brake 15 has a facing 25 ofleather, or the like, for the purpose of frictionally engaging theadjacent end of the knife shaft 12. The brake has a button 26 whichV isdepressed against the tension of the spring 27. The button is operablein a boss 28 of the casing 7, and the purpose of the brake is to slow orstop the motion of the knife shaft 12.

A threaded portion 29 of the motor shaft 5 carries the hub 30 of thesav.y 31 as ivell as the adjustable cone 32 of the adjacent ballbearing. The hub 30 acts as a lock nut for the bearing cone. il numberof screivs 33 (usually 1) secure the circular saw to the hub. The sauYhas a central rectangular opening 31 with vvhich a radial slot 35conimunicates. The rectangular opening communicates with a recess 3G inthe hub 30. The head 3i' of the knife 13 is dove-tailed at 3S. and thesides of the recess 3G are shaped to correspond. This arrangementpermits radial sliding movement of the blade. The knife occupies theradial slot 35. and under normal circumstances is so retracted Withinthe savv 31 that the eX- treme edge comes substantially iiush with theperiphery of the savv .io vn in full lines in Figure 2.

A transverse slot- 39 in the head 37 of the knife makes room for a pinLl() on the end of the knife shaft 12. he pin 10 performs the functionof a crank. Upon appropriate turning of the knife shaft 12 'the knife 13will be extended to the dotted line position in Figure 2, and again uponfurther appropriate motion vvill cause the retraction of the knifeWithin the saiv. The bearings 3 and l. previously mentioned. have ballraces 41 and l2 against Which adjacent cones run. The head 43 of theshaft 12 that carries the head L10 is shaped into a bearing cone to runagainst the balls i14C situated between the head and the hub LlO. Thereare times when relative movement of the shafts 5 and 12 occur, and theball bearing 44 functions at such times.

The operation is non* readily understood. The electric motor 3 iscontrolled by a sivitch (not shown) according to common practice. Thecircular savv 31 commences to revolve immediately upon the starting ofthe motor because the saw is carried by the motor shaft 5. The knife 13also revolves ivith the saw, and at the same speed, because it mustnecessarily7 do so being situated in the slot 35 (Fig. 2) of the savv.The clutch 14 is normally in place in the hub 1G, being pressed there bythe spring 22. The brake 15 is normally disengaged by the spring 2T.

It is assumed that the sau' 31 is first used for cutting through bones.The knife 13 must then be retracted Within therslot 35 so that the pointof the knife does not project beyond the periphery of the san'. It wouldnot do to have the point of the knife strike the bone. The knife 13remains retracted as long as the clutch 11 is kept in engagement withthe hub 16. This engagement practically locks the tivo shafts 5 and 12together so that there can be no relative turning betiveen the tivo.Upon desiring to cut through meat the operator extends the knife 13. Theextension occurs at the point of the knife as shown by dotted lines inFigure 2'. rThe amount of extension is not very great. but it issufficient to perform the desired cutting. The .so-called cutting isactually a chopping, but the shafts revolve u'ith such rapidity that thechopping` action is rcsolved into a continuous cutting action.

The knife is evtcnded. as stated. by pressing upward on the handle 21 ofthe clutch lever 19. This act disengages the clutch lele from the hub10. The inner knife shaft- 12 noiv freed of all restriction. Thecentrifugal action upon the knife 13 always tends to carry the knife outof the slot 35. This tendency is checked while the clutch is inengagement. but uhen the clutch is rcleased, as stated, the centrifugalaction iinmediately asserts itself by carrying the knife 13 out to thelimit. This action is accompanied by a turning of the crank pin -l-O inthe slot 39, and the limit of motion of the knife is reached .vhen thecrank pin reaches its outer center as shoivn by dotted lines in Figure2. The clutch 11 is non permitted to move back into engagement with thehub 1G, locking the tivo shafts together. and the meat-cutting action isthen proceeded with.

Assun'ie next that the operator desires to retract the knife 13 vchilethe sau' is yet in operation. He presses the palm of his hand againstthe button 2G, and with the same hand presses upivard on the clutchhandle 21. This has the combined elli'ect of moving the brake 15 toivardthe end of the shaft 12, and of disengaging the clutch from the hub 1G.The shaft 12 is thus freed. but the en- Lment of the brake slows therate of turning of the shaft. This slou'ing of the shaft causes agradual relative movement of the crank pin e0 in respect to the hub 3()of the sau' so that the knife 13 is gradually retracted vfithin the slot35 to its former position (full lines in Figure 2).

This action is best understood by considering the application of thebrake as causing a reduction in the rate of rotation of the shaft 12.

The motor shaft may. for evample, be assumed to rotate at the rate of100 ll. l). M. The application of the brake 15 ivill cause the shaft 12to lag behind the shaft 5 in rotation so that instead of the tivo movingin s vnchronism the shaft 12 ivill make. say TO R. l). M. or perhaps itmay be totally stopped. The reader will see that the relativil motion ofthe tvvo shafts must result in a change of position of the crank pin 10,and this change of position of the crank pin is accompanied by a changeof position of the knife. As soon as the knife is found to have beenfully retracted, the clutch handle 21 is released, permitting the clutch14 to reengage the hub 16 so that a lpositive drive of the shaft 12 isestablished.

It is to be observed that the knife blade 13 is flush with the surfacesof the saw at both sides, thereby offering no obstruction to either abone or a. meat cutting operation. The knife 18`is capable of beingtaken out by removing the saw 31 from the hub plate. The crank pin 40 isalso removed, but in practice this pin is made with a screw end so thatit can readily be unscrewed. in practice it may be desired to use bothlarger saw and knife blades, but inasmuch as this is largely a matte-rof judgment, particular details need not be given.

While the construction and arrangement o'f the improved meat cutter isthat of a generally preferred form, obviously, modifications andadaptations may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. A device of the character described comprising a circular sawhaving a slot, a knife for cutting meat occupying` said slot, and meansin positive connection with the knife and operable with a crank motionfor projecting said knife until the end extends beyond the periphery ofthe saw to permit the cutting of meat.

2. A device of the character described comprising a circular saw havinga radial slot, a knife occupying said slot and being slidable therein,means including a shaft for projecting the knife, and a positiveoperating connection between the shaft and knife withstanding thetendency of the knife to project from the slot by centrifugal actionwhen the saw is in rotation.

3. A device of the character described comprising a circular saw, asha-ft for driving the saw, a knife carried by the saw bcing extensibleby centrifugal action beyond the periphery of the saw into a position tocut meat, and means having a crank pin occupying the slot in said headfor the purpose of holding the knife in desired adjusted relation to thesaw.

4f.- A device of the character described comprising a circular sawhaving a radial slot, a vknife occupying the slot and being eXtensiblebeyond the periphery of the saw by centrifugal action, a pair of shaftsrespectively for the saw and knife, means for driving one of the shafts,a crank pin connection between the other shaft and the knife, meansincluding a clutch arrangement for locking the shafts together andholding the knife in an extended position, means for shifting the clutchincluding a handle permitting` freeing the knife shaft, and a brake forslowing the motion of the knife shaft causing such relative turning aswill move the knife in relation to the saw by means of the actionl ofthe crank pin, said brake including a push button and a pad to engagethe ends of Jthe knife shaft, means in engagement with the knife, andmeans so holding said engaging means as to withstand the centrifugalaction and hold the knife retracted within the periphery of the saw.

5. A vdevice of the character described comprising a circular saw, ashaft for driving the saw, a knife for cutting meat carried by the saw,a shaft having a pin in suchengagement with theV knife as to keep itretracted within the periphery of the saw against the tendency towardprojection by centrifugal action, and means including a clutcharrangement for locking the shafts together thereby to maintain theknife in the retracted and inoperative position.

6. A device vof the character described comprising a circular saw, ashaft for driving the saw, a knife for cutting meat carried by the saw,a shaft having a pin in such engagement with the knife as to keep itretracted within the periphery of the saw against the tendencytowardprojection by centrifugal action, means including a clutch arrangementfor locking the shafts together thereby to maintain the knife in theretracted and inoperative position, and means to shift the kclutchthereby to release the knife shaft and permitting projection of theknife beyond the periphery of the saw by a resulting relative turning ofthe knife shaft.

7. A device of the character described comprising a circular saw, ahollow shaft for driving` the saw, a knife carried by the saw and havingan opening in a portion. thereof, a central shaft having means includinga pin eXtending through an opening, and locking means including a clutchfor causing the shafts to turn together and holding the knife inposition in respect to the saw according to a particular location ofsaid pin.

8. A device of the character described comprising a circular saw, ashaft for driving the saw, a knife slidably carried by the saw andhaving an opening in a portion thereof, a shaft having a crank pinoccupying said opening, means including a clutch for locking the shaftstogether thereby causing the pin to hold the knife in position inrespect to the saw, and means including a clutch lever for shifting theclutch and releasing the knife shaft permitting extension of the knifebeyond the periphery of the saw by centrifugal action until there hasoccurred such relative turning of the knife shaft as to cause the crankpin to limit the sliding of the knife.

9. A device of the character described comprising a circular saw, ashaft for driving the saw, a knife slidably carried by the -saw beingextensible beyond the periphery by centrifugal action, a portion of saidknife having an opening, a shaft having a crank pin occupying saidopening, nieans including a clutch locking the Shafts together, nie-ansincluding a clutch handle for shifting the clutch to release the knifeshaft, and a brake to then engage a portion of the knife shaft causing aslowing of movement and such Lrurning of the crank pin in relaicn to thesanv as will retract the knife toward the l@ periphery of the saiv.

comprising a circular saw having a radial opening, a revolnhle hubcarrying the saw and having a recess communicating with a portion ofsaid opening, a shaft extending inro the hub and having a crank pin, aknife slidable in the saw opening, and a head forming part of the knifeoccupying a portion of the opening and said recess, said head having atransverse slot receiving the crank 20 pin.

GENIAH B. RUNYA.

